Ian Talty, 30, of Woodbury and a 29-year-old friend were photographing a tunnel on the St. Paul side of the Mississippi River south of the Marshall Avenue bridge when a thunderstorm erupted, filling the tunnel with rainwater and sweeping the men into the river, St. Paul police say.

Talty’s friend was able to make it to shore on his own, but Talty was not.

I'm sure some of you remember his enthusiasm for urban exploration, and his excellent photography.

I understand that friends and family are en route to the Twin Cities. Obviously, our thoughts are with them.

This is absolutely awful, I barely know what to say. I didn't really know him all that well, but I could recognize any of his photography in a second. His ability to capture city architecture and turn decaying structure into beautiful landscapes was breathtaking. We spoke a bit about urban exploration and I really admired his passion for it. His presence will be missed. This is devastating news.